My friends absolutely loved being Baristas at Starbucks. Never really heard people who actually worked there complain other than the fact that it was possible to make more money with a real corporate job. For anyone doing part time worked they've always talked about loving it.

tchau:My friends absolutely loved being Baristas at Starbucks. Never really heard people who actually worked there complain other than the fact that it was possible to make more money with a real corporate job. For anyone doing part time worked they've always talked about loving it.

/sorry about being honest.

I've seen clearly disgruntled people working at Starbucks, but only the locations that are in really bad neighborhoods, etc. They're pretty good about hiring people that understand what they're getting into. For everyone else, there's McDonald's.

Gig103:I'll get the ball rolling here. Baristas already make minimum wage, so why are we tipping them?

Starbucks pays above the minimum wage. And the "shift supervisor" isn't some overpaid manager type. They are more akin to "lead person" and typically don't make much more than the baristas. Sharing tips is the right thing to do.

Something like seven years ago, a friend who worked at Starbucks told me they started at $9/hr as baristas and had at least the option of signing up for health care through the company. From what I read earlier about this, shift supervisors still do the regular barista stuff but just have more responsibility overall, so it does kinda make sense to me that they'd all split the tips. Sounded like a pretty sweet gig if you could stand getting up super early, making coffee all day, and being fake-cheerful to pre-coffee jerks. Sadly that kind of thing is not my bag.

Managers though, no, they should get back in the back office where they belong...

Didn't read TFA, but sharing tips is not unusual. I doubt the shift supervisors are receiving stock options, and there aren't a lot of tips at Starbucks, so I think spreading a meager amount of joy is fair play.

I don't get it - didn't they already do this? IIRC there was an unsuccessful class action suit a number of years ago claiming that shift supervisors shouldn't have been allowed to take tips from employees, since they were considered agents of the management or something. Maybe it was just a California thing for all I know.

tchau:My friends absolutely loved being Baristas at Starbucks. Never really heard people who actually worked there complain other than the fact that it was possible to make more money with a real corporate job. For anyone doing part time worked they've always talked about loving it.

/sorry about being honest.

Working at Starbucks isn't a real corporate job? Would be kind of the definition of "real corporate job," I'd think anyway.

cyberspacedout:I don't get it - didn't they already do this? IIRC there was an unsuccessful class action suit a number of years ago claiming that shift supervisors shouldn't have been allowed to take tips from employees, since they were considered agents of the management or something. Maybe it was just a California thing for all I know.

What the article never gets around to saying is that yes, this is already the way it works.

People tip at starbucks? Doesn't that violate the general rules of tipping? Counter service = no tip unless you're making unusual requests. That's like tipping at McDonald's. The only exception I know to the counter service rule is eating pizza at a pizza parlor for some reason.

Alexei Novikov:I used to work at a Starbucks. I'd do it again in a minute; it was a great job and surprisingly fun.

Also, in FL, shift supervisors always shared tips. Managers don't because they're salaried. Not sure why it was different in NY anyway. What a farked up state.

It wasn't different, there was a lawsuit to try and make it so supervisors didn't get tips. The court just stated the obvious that since a supervisor's job is 95% the same as a barista, they should get to share in the tip pool.

ghostfacekillahrabbit:tchau: My friends absolutely loved being Baristas at Starbucks. Never really heard people who actually worked there complain other than the fact that it was possible to make more money with a real corporate job. For anyone doing part time worked they've always talked about loving it.

/sorry about being honest.

Working at Starbucks isn't a real corporate job? Would be kind of the definition of "real corporate job," I'd think anyway.

Sorry you are right there. My friends who worked at starbucks making 9 an hour were happy, but now they are making Corporate salaries at Google and it makes more sense making $45~$60 an hour. They never complained though about starbucks. Was great for them at their age (18), and a good stepping stone to their current corporate life.

I had to leave and become a photographer after 10 years working a 9-5...wasn't my thing, but part of me wishes I did my year at starbucks/publix/etc..

cyberspacedout:I don't get it - didn't they already do this? IIRC there was an unsuccessful class action suit a number of years ago claiming that shift supervisors shouldn't have been allowed to take tips from employees, since they were considered agents of the management or something. Maybe it was just a California thing for all I know.

I remember seeing the initial verdict and wondering how the hell they could track down years' worth of past baristas to distribute all that. "Tonya Reid Jones? Formerly Tonya Reid of the Starbucks on Main Street in Shreveport? Here's the $9.41 more you should have gotten in 2005. Nowadays that'll buy you a half-'tall' of milk only. Enjoy!"

AverageAmericanGuy:gerbilpox: AverageAmericanGuy: I'll help with Take a Penny, Leave a Penny, but I'll be goddamned if I tip some cashier for pouring me a cup of coffee.

You want yours without spit, don't you?

So my choice is either to give in to the extortion or suffer the consequences?

I think I'd rather take my business elsewhere.

Extortion is exactly what is is. Protection money at it's finest, because they can't be assed to get a real job. This whole tipping culture is farking ridiculous. If you rely on tips to live, you need a new job. This is why automation is a good thing, eventually they'll be replaced by smart robots, able to take everyones silly custom orders, and employees will be cut down to the guy who performs maintenance.

Gig103:I'll get the ball rolling here. Baristas already make minimum wage, so why are we tipping them?

I don't go to Starbucks, which is mostly automated, but if you're making a cappuccino or latte, there's a lot of skill most people don't realize. Getting a shot to pull at the right speed, making sure the milk foams just right (very hard for a cappuccino), those are skills that you have to work at. If someone takes the time to do a professional job, they deserve more than someone that slings coffee until their novel goes big/their band makes it/their screenplay is picked up and does a crappy job at it. It's worth an extra $0.50-$1.00.

robohobo:This is why automation is a good thing, eventually they'll be replaced by smart robots, able to take everyones silly custom orders, and employees will be cut down to the guy who performs maintenance.

cyberspacedout:I don't get it - didn't they already do this? IIRC there was an unsuccessful class action suit a number of years ago claiming that shift supervisors shouldn't have been allowed to take tips from employees, since they were considered agents of the management or something. Maybe it was just a California thing for all I know.

Not to worry. You're on fark. It takes a number of years for this site to catch up with old news.

gweilo8888:robohobo: This is why automation is a good thing, eventually they'll be replaced by smart robots, able to take everyones silly custom orders, and employees will be cut down to the guy who performs maintenance.

...who will spit in every single machine he services.

I would assume such machines would be self-cleaning, like ovens and not-slutty vaginas.

HotWingAgenda:That makes sense. But the people rolling up and ordering a $20 fru fru girly drink that takes 5 minutes to make had better farking tip for the extra work and focus involved.

Perhaps Starbucks could pay their staff by the hour, so that they earned more for drinks that took longer to make. That way, they'd earn the same for making one five-minute drink as for making five one-minute drink. Just a thought.

Alphakronik:Bucky Katt: Gig103: I'll get the ball rolling here. Baristas already make minimum wage, so why are we tipping them?

You don't have to. No one is making you.

I'll tip $1 to every barista who gets my name correct, which means I don't tip very often.

Let me guess, you tip $1 to every bartender that makes you the perfect gin and tonic, whether you know their name or not. Maybe you should learn your barista's name, asshole./if you can't afford the tip, make it at home

I'll tip $1 to every barista who gets my name correct, which means I don't tip very often.

Let me guess, you tip $1 to every bartender that makes you the perfect gin and tonic, whether you know their name or not. Maybe you should learn your barista's name, asshole./if you can't afford the tip, make it at home

Or, if you CAN afford the tip, make it at home. High end espresso machines aren't that expensive. If you have the time to wait in line for some mouth breathing hipster to make you coffee, you have the time to make it at home.

If girls who get dollar bills in their panties at a strip club have to share their tips with well like everyone from the DJ to the owner while their doing all the bouncing and shaking....I have no problem with some moron who makes coffee sharing their tips.

I'll tip $1 to every barista who gets my name correct, which means I don't tip very often.

Let me guess, you tip $1 to every bartender that makes you the perfect gin and tonic, whether you know their name or not. Maybe you should learn your barista's name, asshole./if you can't afford the tip, make it at home

Tipping someone who makes more than minimum wage? Okay buddy.

/rarely goes to Starbucks//order black coffee or green/black tea when I do

Now if you want a decent pair of wine with your dinner, by all means. Do they share those tips you leave for the server? I'll admit I've never bothered to ask for a sommelier in a nice restaurant. I don't particularly care for most wine. I'm more of a beer snob if I am to pair something with food.

There's a pizza place down the road at which the owner comes by every night and empties the tip jar .. keeping 100% for himself. Video cam keeps everyone honest. Which political philosophy does this fall under?